David Yates Discusses Future Projects, Including Doctor Who And Your Voice In My Head

Yesterday I went on a speedrun through the new Warner Bros Studio Tour of the Harry Potter sets, which concluded with a series of interviews with the creative minds behind the films. One of these minds was David Yates, who will soon be reunited with Potter star Emma Watson for Your Voice in My Head, the adaptation of Emma Forrest’s memoir of the same name.

I was particularly keen to get Yates’ current stance on the possibility of a Doctor Who movie, which he has been insisting is definitely in the works despite Steven Moffat’s equally fervent claims that it’s definitely not going to happen. Here’s what Yates had to say.

“Yes, I’m definitely doing a Doctor Who movie. But I think where everyone got confused was that we’re not making it for five years, or six years – it’s a very slow development. I’ve got projects backed up between now and about 2015, and it’s something I’m very passionate and excited about.

Steven’s a genius. I love his work, I think he’s incredibly clever. I love what he’s done with Doctor Who, love his Sherlock Holmes. He’s such a gifted man. But this is something that’s a very slow burn and I’m hoping to sit down with him at some point and have a chat. It’s just something that we’ve been talking about for a little while.”

With a series like Doctor Who, which has the luxury of meeting the Doctor at various different points in his 900 year-long lifespan, the movie could potentially be developed as a separate entity to the series. I asked Yates how likely it was that the movie would intersect with the series.

“That’s all to be discussed. Because it’s five or six years from now. It’s weird because … what will the series be like in five or six years? But I’m very excited about it, very excited about that world.”

Yates will be moving on to darker material (not that defeating an evil wizard isn’t dark, of course) with Your Voice In My Head. Based on Emma Forrest’s memoir, the film is about a writer who struggles with depression and eventually attempts suicide, but is given guidance by her terminally ill psychiatrist. The film has yet to even begin its principle photography, but there’s already Oscar buzz surrounding it.

I’ve got a book by a lady called Emma Forrest called Your Voice In My Head, and I’d love Emma to be in that. She’s very excited about being in that. And I’ve got a wonderful Western called The Reliable Wife … And two or three other things that I’m very excited about. But I’d love to work with all of the young [Harry Potter] actors again, because I’m such a fan of them as people and as actors. This first project, Emma’s kind of perfect for. It’s actually a very complicated role, it’s about a girl who self-harms, and tried to kill herself. It’s a million miles away from Potter, which is why it’s probably quite fun to do.

More from the Warner Bros. Tour, including an interview with producer David Heyman, coming soon.